Summarised by Centrist
A new peer-reviewed study has found that sugary drinks don’t just increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer, but they may also help the disease spread once it forms.
Published this month in Nature Metabolism and led by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the research mimicked the effects of consuming soda by exposing colorectal cancer cells to a glucose-fructose mix.
Cancer cells became more mobile, spreading faster to the liver, the most common site for metastasis.
Sugary drinks set off an enzyme in the body called sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD). This enzyme kicks off a chain reaction that feeds cancer’s growth and spread. When researchers blocked SORD, the process slowed, suggesting new treatment options.
“While these findings need further investigation, they suggest that reducing sugary drinks, targeting SORD or repurposing statins may benefit patients with colorectal cancer,” Yun added. Statins are typically used to lower cholesterol.
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in US men and the fourth in women. However, while rates in older adults have declined, cases in under-50s have risen 2.4 percent each year since 2012. One study found a 500 percent increase among 10- to 14-year-olds between 1999 and 2020.
Risk factors include obesity, Type 2 diabetes, smoking, alcohol, and diets heavy in red or processed meats. The new research suggests sugary drinks may also belong high on that list.
